Everyone praises the benefits of working from home: you skip your commute, you get to wear comfy elastic everything, and you never have to step outside on a rainy day. It’s all true, but as so many people (and their waistbands) discovered the hard way when the COVID-19 lockdowns started, it’s hard to eat healthy when you’re working from home.

It’s not much of a surprise; you’re surrounded by your personal stash of goodies all day and there are no coworkers to judge you for the cheese dust on your keyboard. It’s not easy to eat healthy as a WFH warrior but it’s possible! Try these top tips before swimsuit season strikes.

Try The Following Strategies

1. Avoid Bulk Buying

Yes, I know the cartons of cookies at Costco seem like a great deal, but if there’s one universal law of working from home it’s the fact that if it’s there, you’ll eat it. You try to buy enough groceries to last a week but in two days there’s nothing left.

Instead, buy small quantities right when you want them. If there are no snacks in the house, you’ll have to get up and go get them if you actually want them. Nine times out of ten, it won’t happen.

2. Plan Ahead

Meal planning isn’t just for people who are trying to cut calories and lose weight. It’s a handy strategy for anyone who doesn’t want to get carried away with junk food. As we all know, if you wait until you’re hungry to decide what to eat, you’ll be thinking more with your growling stomach than with your head.

Instead, create a pre-planned meal schedule and stick with it. Once you’re in the habit, you’ll be eating healthier and barely noticing it.

3. Change Your Scenery

No matter what you do, there are days when you just can’t stop making eyes at the leftover banana bread on the counter. In that case, choose flight over a fight.

Take your work out to your porch or a park. If you’re more indoorsy, libraries and coworking spaces are great options. You could even head down to your favorite dine-in coffee shop (assuming they don’t have a tempting pastry counter of their own, of course).

Want some company in the process? Check out our upcoming coworking meetups for a social way to get away from the pantry.

4. Set Time Goals

You’re already duking it out with your natural instinct to snack, so try joining forces with another natural instinct: competition.

Set timed goals for each of your tasks for the day. Maybe you want to get this project done in an hour, and another task is slated for an hour and a half. Compete with yourself to see if you can finish them on time. Not only will you get more done but you won’t take snack breaks because if you do, you’ll miss your goals and suffer defeat. It’s a win-win!

Working from Home the Healthy Way

Working from home doesn’t have to mean “snacking with a bit of work on the side.” You can actually eat healthy and use your freedom for good instead of evil with a few handy tricks. Try out the tips above and in the meantime, expand your WFH circle by joining Ladies Work Remote.

Step Away from the Donuts! Tips to Eat Healthy While Working from Home